Combination tail light and direction indicator



June 5; 1923. 1,457,413 A. E. TINKER COMBINATION TAIL LIGHT AND DIREGTION INDICATOR Filed Mare 16 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l7 l6 9 I? l5, 7 19 [171/617 (.011 l7. 5 Th/MER alfarnqa i (9M.

June 5,1923. '1-;451,413

' !A. E. TINKER COMBINATION TAIL LIGHT AND DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed March 16. 1921 2 SheetsSheet 2 liqvenor.

M2512 e53. fir M was Patented June 5, 1923.

UNITED STAT ALFRED E. TINKER, F STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA 7 COMBINATION TAIL LIGHT Am LnIREcTIon INDICATOR.

Application filed march 16,, 1921. Serial No. 452,881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I,,ALFRED E. TINK R, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and Stateof California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combination Tail Lights and Direction Indicators, of which the following is a specification. This invention. relates to an improvement in direction indicators, andhas reference more particularly to that type of indicator which is adapted to .be applied to the rear of an automobile so that the driver thereof can indicate his intentions relative to ma- F neuvers he is about to execute. I y

The principal object of myv invention is to construct an indicator which may be remotely placed upon a car with respect to the driver, and whichmaybe operated in ,an eflicient mannerandwithout the necess'ity of the operator removing his hands from the steering wheel of the car, upon which the sameis mounted.

another object is to producean indicator 5 which will be visible during boththe day and'night.

' Another object is to produce an indicator which will have an audible device in connection therewith, which audible device will indicate tov the driver that his signals have "operated. W

Another object isto produce a signal which will be exceedingly simple,-both as to construction and wiring arrangement and one which will be cheap to manufacture and of such simpleconstruction that the danger 1 of the same becoming inoperative through derangementof parts. will be'practically eliminated; i

YVith these and other objectsin view, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a rear elevation of my signal, the same being attached to a license plate of an automobile; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, but with one of the signals raised; Fig. 4: is a top plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 55 Fig. 8; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view on the line 67 Fig. 8; Fig. 7 is a cross section'similar to Fig. 6, but with the signal in a closed position; Fig. 8 is a cross section taken on the line 8-8, Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a diagrammatical View of an automobile showing my signal placed thereon; Fig. 10 is a' fragmentary sectional view of a steering wheel showing mysignal contactsmounted thereon; Fig. ,ll 1s a cross section onthe line l1l1,Fig.

10; and Fig. 12is a diagrammatical view of the wiring arrangement of my signal.

Referring to the drawings in detail, like numerals correspond to similar parts in the several. views. i

The numeral 5 design-ates an. automobile- 1 as a whole having a steering wheel 6 and license plate 7f is to this license plate ,7 that I preferably attach my signal. It'i's obvious, however, that. the same might be posltloned upon any part of the .vehicle, which would be readily ing vehicle or other traflic.

The signal consists of a box 8, preferably rectangular in shape and carrying a lens 9 centrally disposed in its front face. This lens should preferably correspond to the.

visible to a follow taillight of the car and it is one of thepurposesot my signal to eliminate the tail light, substituting'my device therefor.

The numerals 11 and 12 designateori fices stamped at each side of thelens' 9, these orifices-being in the shape of arrows and polntlng ln opposlte directlons, the opening 11 formingthe right hand arrow and the opening 12 v forming the left hand arrow.

These openings 11 and 12 are normally closed by plates such as are shown at13',

which, plates are supported upon hinged, being two hinged mem members 14-. there bersfor eachplate. v

Each, hinged member is provided with arms,16,'and l7, which are degrees removed from eachv other, the result being that the arms 17 are so positioned as to protrude from the box 8, and the arms 16 to protrude into the box 8.

:At 18 and 1 9 I have shown arrows, formed p'eferably from metal, attached to the arms 1 Referring now to Fig. 5, it will benoted that I have placed an electric light21 within the box 8 and have supported thesame'by a bracket 22. It is obviousQhowever, that this light may be supported in any convenient manner.

Referring now to F igs. 6 and 7, it will be noted that a loop23 is formed upon the rear of the plates 13, the purpose of which is tobe engaged by the bent end 24 of a wire 26, having its opposite end hinged as shown at Ly n;

27 to the lower corner of the box 8. This wire 2-6, in passing from the loop 23 to the hingeQ'? is bent and passes through an opening formed in the armature 28 of a solenoid 29, which solenoid is supported upon a bracket 81, attached to the rear of the box 8.

By referring to Fig. 8, it will be :noted that each plate 18 is operated in a similar manner, but for the purpose of simplicity I have described but one actuating mechanism, the two being identical.

Referring now to Fig. 10, the numeral 32 represents a portion of the steering wheel 6 of the automobile. To this steering wheel,

' I attach two bands 33 and 34c spaced one from the other and serving to support spring contacts 36 and 37, which spring contacts areadap'ted to engage a pin 38, carried upon each band 33 and 34 for the purpose of making electrical connection between the wires 39 and il and .the common return wire l2.

The wires 39 and 41 leading to the solenoids located in the box .8 upon the rear of the 'car.

By referring now to Fig. 12, the circuitof wiring is here illustrated, and, for the purpose of simplicity, I will describe but one circuit,-as the two are identical.

The letter R represents the lens 9 and the letter B the battery of a car. The letter C refers to a switch which may be co1nveniently located, the closing of which will cause the current "to flow from the battery, through the wire as, through the light 6, and

through wire All, back to the battery.

'By referring now to'the left hand portion of this figure, it will be noted that by depressing the spring contact 36, the same will contact with the pin 38. This will complete the circuit and the current will then flow through from the battery B, through wire 46, solenoid 29, pin 38, contact 36, wire 48 and back to the battery B. The action of 'the solenoid 29 will raise the plate '13 and cause current to flow therethrough to a co-n tact 51 from which contact the current will return to the battery through the buzzer 49, thus giving an audiblesignal.

If it be day time, this arrow 18 being bright will give a warning or if it be night time, the uncovering 'of the orifice 12 will allow the same'to be illuminated by the light 21. Thus it will be seen that I have pro- "the front of the box through which the light is'adapted to be projected forsignaling purposes, -acover hinged wrthm the light box adapted 'to normally overlie said opening, a

plate inounted upon the top of the light box'a-nd exteriorly thereof and connected to said 'cover'a't right angles thereto, said plate adapted to be actuated through the movement of said cover and normally lying flat upon the top ofthe light bo-x'when'the cover is overlying the opening in the front of the light box, and a signal on the face of said plate adapted to be displayed when the plate is moved to upstanding position upon the top of the light box when the cover is moved away from the opening in the light box.

2. In a signal of the class described, a

light box made to be mounted upon an automobile, a light in said box, an opening in the front of the box through which the light is adapted to be projected for signaling purposes, a coverhinged within the light box adapted to normally overlie saidopening, a plate mounted upon the top of the light box and exteriorly thereo'fand connected to said cover at right angles thereto, said plate adapted to be actuated through the movementof said cover and normally lying flat upon the top of the light box whenythe-cover is overlying the opening in the front of the 'light box, and a signal on the face of said plate adapted to be displayed when the plate is moved to upstanding position upon the top 'of the light box when the cover is moved away from the opening in the light box, the

means for actuating said cover and said plate comprising a solenoid mounted within the light box and an operating connection between said solenoid and said cover.

ALFRED .E "TIN-KER. 

